The top 10 Michigan individual performances against Ohio State

Michigan Wolverines football‘s 30-24 win over Ohio State in 2023 was glorious — “pure bliss,” as quarterback J.J. McCarthy called it. The Maize and Blue finished another regular season undefeated, and this time capitalized by winning the national championship with CFP wins over Alabama and Washington.

One of the most unique aspects of Michigan’s win over the Buckeyes was that the Wolverines didn’t need a monster individual performance to win it. They got great showings — no doubt — from McCarthy (16-of-20 passing, 148 yards, 1 TD), running back Blake Corum (88 rushing yards, 2 TD), cornerback Will Johnson (1 interception), safety Rod Moore (game-sealing pick) and others.

There were legendary plays and moments, but it didn’t take 5 touchdowns from Hassan Haskins or twin lightning strikes, scores of 75 and 85 yards, from Donovan Edwards to beat the Buckeyes. Michigan was favored and took care of business at The Big House, whereas the Maize and Blue were underdogs in their previous two triumphs over their bitter rival, in 2021 and 2022.

Moore, especially, furthered his legend status by stepping in front of Kyle McCord‘s pass that was intended for Marvin Harrison Jr. and picking it off. As he went to the sideline to put on the ‘turnover buffs,’ the Ohio native waved his hand in the air, wishing the Buckeyes farewell. But that was Rod Moore being Rod Moore. Michigan winning the game — fueled by a complete performance — was just another victory in a long line of them in 2023, one of the most special seasons in program history.

The team that wins the Michigan-Ohio State game usually does so on the back of stellar individual performances that go down in history and aren’t soon forgotten, like the aforementioned big games from Haskins and Edwards.

We break down the top 10 individual performances by Michigan players against the Buckeyes.

1. HB Tom Harmon, 1940

Perhaps the highlight of Harmon’s legendary carer, that included the 1940 Heisman Trophy, was his performance against the Buckeyes that season.

He led Michigan to a 40-0 victory over the Buckeyes, scoring three rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns and four extra points, while adding three interceptions. For good measure, he punted three times with a 50-yard average.

Say what you will about Ohio State fans, but the Buckeye faithful over 80 years ago gave Harmon a standing ovation at the end of the game — the rarest of honors in a rivalry so intense.

2. RB Tim Biakabutuka, 1995

Biakabutuka had a fantastic 1995 season, headlined by an explosion of production against the Buckeyes. He rushed a whopping 37 times for 313 yards in a 31-23 win. Credit the offensive line, too, which opened massive holes to spring their star back.

That same game, a freshman cornerback named Charles Woodson had 2 interceptions, including the game-sealer on 4th and 10 with the Buckeyes driving with only a minute left. That foreshadowed another great performance against his home state team that was to come.

Michigan earned an Alamo Bowl appearance, where the Wolverines suffered a setback to Texas A&M.

3. DB Barry Pierson, 1969

Michigan’s 24-12 victory in 1969 still stands as one of the most notable in the rivalry’s history. First-year head coach Bo Schembechler‘s squad played inspired, and its best football, in the improbable win over a Buckeye team that hadn’t lost in two seasons, with 22-straight wins coming in.

That marked a turning point, with Schembechler and Co. edging out Woody Hayes and the Buckeyes in the ‘Ten Year War.’

Pierson notched 3 of Michigan’s 4 interceptions in the game That was part of a defensive performance for the ages. The Buckeyes were averaging 46.4 points per game entering the matchup, with their lowest point total being 34 against Minnesota.

Pierson also had a 60-yard punt return that set up a Michigan touchdown.

Michigan players carried Schembechler on his shoulders after the game, and wouldn’t have done so without Pierson’s fantastic afternoon at The Big House.

4. CB Charles Woodson, 1997

Woodson grabbed a booming punt on his own 23-yard line, raced to his left, split two men, dashed to the 40-yard line and broke free down the Ohio State sideline for a 78-yard punt return touchdown. The play gave Michigan a 13-0 lead late in the second quarter of a 20-14 victory to send the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl.

That’s the play everyone remembers, but Woodson also notched an interception in the end zone to polish off the Heisman Trophy in the third quarter. In the second quarter, he hauled in a 37-yard catch and run over the middle to get down to the Ohio State 16-yard line and set up an Anthony Thomas touchdown run.

Woodson was spectacular in leading Michigan to the national title, with his best performance coming against the Buckeyes.

5. WR Desmond Howard, 1991

Sense a theme here? All three of Michigan’s Heisman Trophy winners showed out in the rivalry, including Howard.

There’s just something about punt returns in this rivalry, too (Howard, Woodson, Pierson). Howard returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, putting Michigan up 24-3. Once he reached the end zone, he struck the Heisman pose.

Howard added 3 receptions for 96 yards, including a 50-yarder.

The outright Big Ten champion Wolverines finished 8-0 in league play and made the Rose Bowl, where they lost to Washington.

6. QB Drew Henson, 2000

Michigan has won in Columbus 28 times, but before last season it hadn’t since 2000, when Henson led the Maize and Blue to a 38-26 victory.

He completed 14 of 25 pass attempts for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception, and rushed 3 times for 7 yards, including a 1-yard score on a bootleg on 4th down, sealing the win with 1:18 to go.

Henson was responsible for 310 of Michigan’s 391 total yards.

Michigan shared the Big Ten conference crown and earned a Citrus Bowl berth. The Wolverines fell to Auburn in Orlando.

7. RB Hassan Haskins and DE Aidan Hutchinson, 2021

We’ll cheat and combine the Haskins and Hutchinson performances since they came in the same win, so this is really a top-11 list.

Haskins and the Michigan offensive line were dominant on the ground. He rushed 28 times for 169 yards and 5 touchdowns, tying the Wolverines’ all-time single-game record of rushing scores (Ron Johnson vs. Wisconsin, 1968). He was unstoppable, and was able to churn out yards late even when Ohio State knew it was coming.

Hutchinson’s effort was equally as impressive in the 42-27 victory that propelled Michigan to the Big Ten championship game. He had 3 sacks — 2 of which came on third downs — and 15 pressures, the most by any player in a single game since PFF began recording pressures in 2014.

Michigan went on to beat Iowa in the Big Ten title game and advance to the College Football Playoff, where it lost to Georgia in a semifinal matchup.

8. Donovan Edwards, 2022

It had been 22 years since Michigan won in Columbus, before the Wolverines stunned the Buckeyes, 45-23 at the Horse Shoe in 2022.

Running back Blake Corum, who had torn his meniscus and MCL against the week earlier against Illinois, tried to give it a go but was pulled early on in the game. Donovan Edwards, his backup, had been hurt and played with a cast on his right hand. Carrying the ball in his left hand most of the game, Edwards gutted it out, and really wasn’t all that effective until he delivered twin lightning strikes to seal the win — a 75-yard touchdown run to make it 38-23 and an 85-yarder to go up 45-23 — silencing the scarlet-wearing and red-faced fans who filed out soon after.

With 216 yards and 2 scores on the ground, Edwards became the first Michigan player to amass 200-plus rushing yards in Columbus since Jamie Morris in a 26-24 triumph in 1986 (210).

Jim Harbaugh, the quarterback in ‘86 and head coach at the time, said Edwards could’ve “taken a knee” due to his injury, but “instead he wore a cast, and now he’s a legend.”

Michigan went on to win the Big Ten championship and appear in the College Football Playoff for the second straight season, falling to TCU 51-45.

9. QB Denard Robinson, 2011

Robinson accounted for 337 of Michigan’s 444 yards — 167 passing and 170 — with 5 total touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing). He carried the offense in the 40-34 win as he did all season long.

The Michigan quarterback scored at least 1 touchdown in every quarter, including a 4-yard pass with 8:32 to go in the fourth quarter that extended the lead to 10 points, 37-27.

The win over a 6-7 Buckeye team led by interim head coach Luke Fickell was Michigan’s first since 2003. The Maize and Blue didn’t make the Big Ten championship game but earned a Sugar Bowl berth and beat Virginia Tech.

10. RB Chris Perry, 2003

Michigan’s Doak Walker Award winner and workhorse ran 31 times for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns, and caught 5 passes for 55 yards with a 15-yard screen pass reception in the Wolverines’ 35-21 win to capture the Big Ten title.

Perry scored a pair of second-half touchdowns — one that put Michigan up 28-7 and another that extended the lead to the final score after Ohio State had put up 14-consecutive points in a comeback attempt.

Honorable mention: WR John Kolesar, 1988

Kolesar, known as a Buckeye killer, caught a 77-yard pass from quarterback Jim Harbaugh — who was knocked down on the play but got the throw off — to give Michigan a 10-point lead late in a 27-17 win over Ohio State in 1985.

Three years later, Kolesar was the star of the show again, this time as an upperclassman.

Michigan trailed 31-27 with under two minutes to go, following a go-ahead Ohio State touchdown. Kolesar took matters into his own hands, returning the kickoff 59 yards, before catching a 41-yard, game-winning touchdown pass.

The Big Ten champion Michigan Wolverines went on to the Rose Bowl and beat USC, 22-14.